Piano-key support and regulator.



J. A. FOUST.

PIANO KEY SUPPORT AND REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11. ms.

1,200,336. Patented 0 t. 3,1916.

l w @k \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\3 W E! [5w q k & w M 5 w I 11mm Jflww d 5m? J. A. FOUST.

PIANO KEY SUPPORT AND REGULATOR. APPLICATION FILED APR. 1!. 1916.

1,200,336. Patented 00s. 3, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JAMES A. FOUST, OF HUMBOLDT, KANSAS.

PIANO-KEY SUPPORT AND REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

Application filed April 17, 1916. Serial No. 91,701.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES A. FoUsT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Humboldt, in the county of Allen and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Piano-Key Supports and Regulators; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact de scription of the invention, such as will en'- able others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in pianos and similar musical instruments which are operated by a plurality of keys, the improvement being designed to regulate and adjust the latter.

One object of this invention is to provide asimply constructed device by which the keys of the keyboard of a piano or similar instrument may be leveled so that their tops will all be in the same plane.

An additional object of the invention is to provide means for regulating the dip of the keys.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means for accomplishing the above objects from the outside of the instrument.

With these and many other objects in view my invention resides in the novel features of construction and combination and arrangement of parts which will hereinafter be more particularly described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a keyboard and adjacent parts of a piano showing my invention applied to one of the keys thereof; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the plane of the line 22 of Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4- are each vertical transverse sections taken respectively on the planes of the lines 3-3 and 4- 1 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the brackets; and

' Fig. 6 is a similar view of additional parts of the adjusting mechanism.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the numeral 1 designates the keyboard of a piano formed of the usual number of keys 2 which are fulcrumed intermediate their ends upon the rail 3 which is supported on the key bed 4. In instruments of ordinary construction the rails 3 and 3 comprise pin racks which have a plurality of upwardly extending pins for fulcruming the keys and also for guiding the same during their movement. In the present instance these pins are eliminated, my improvements taking their place.

Each of the keys in the keyboard is provided with my invention, therefore I will describe only one of the same hereinafter. The key 2 is provided with a socket 5 intermediate its ends for the reception of a stud 6 which is carried by an ear 7, said ear having a rectangular or square base for engagement with a similarly shaped recess 8 in the bottom of the key surrounding said socket. This arrangement prevents the ear which has an opening at right angles to the longitudinal plane of the key, from turning when there is no additional means for securing the same thereto. The ear 7 is disposed between the arms 9 of the fulcrum member 10, a pin 11 extending through said arms and ear as illustrated. The member has a preferably square base which is disposed in a square recess or socket 12 formed in the rail 3, said rail also having an aperture communicating with said recess to receive the threaded shank 13 of the member 10 which depends therefrom. The shank 18 also extends through an aperture in the key bed 4 which is alined with said aperture in the rail 3. After being extended through the key bed and the rail, the shank 13 is disposed in the alined apertures formed in the furcations 14: of the bifurcated end of a bracket 15 which is secured to said key bed by the Iastening elements 16. The threaded shank is provided with a thumbnut 17 which is disposed between the furcations 1d and is used for raising and lowering said member 10. It is obvious that by turning the thumb nut 17 in the proper direction upon the threaded shank 13 the same will be forced to move upwardly, carrying with it the member 10 and the key 2 which is pivoted thereto. The member 10 being disposed in the rectangular recess 12 will be prevented from rotating, and as the recess is rather deep there is slight danger of the member being moved vertically a sufficient distance to disengage By this simple means it from the same. each individual key in the keyboard may be adjusted vertically so that it will aline with the others and not project above or be depressed below the same.

As hereinbefore mentioned each key 2 is also provided with means for regulating the dip said means being preferably disposed beneath the front end thereof. The key is provided with a depending pin 18 which extends between the arms 19 of a forked support 20 whose lower square end is disposed in a rectangular recess 21 formed in the rail 8. When the key is in its inactive position the lower end of the pin 18 will be dis posed above the bottom of the fork of the support 20 as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 but when the key is depressed its downward movement will be limited by contact of the pin 18 with said bottom." Therefore it will be seen that by lowering or raising the sup port 20 the downward movement or dip will be varied and the touch of the key regulated. The sides of the pin 18 and the bottom of the fork are preferably covered with felt so that all sound will be deadened when these parts engage.

The support 20 has a depending threaded shank'22 which extends through an aperture communicating with the recess 21 in the rail 3 and through an additional aperture alined therewith in the key bed 4:, its free end being extended below the latter. The threaded shank 22 has a thumb nut 23 threaded thereon which is disposed between the fureations 2 1 of the bifurcated end of the bracket 25, said furcations having alined apertures to receive said shank. The bracket 25 is secured to the key bed by any preferred means such as the fastening elements used for securing the bracket 15 thereto. It will be noted that the brackets 15 and 25 are constructed substantially alike and that the support 20 may be raised or lowered in the same manner as the member 10, that is by rotating the thumb nut 23 in the proper direction upon the threaded shank 22. In this manner the distance between the end of the pin 18 and the bottom of the fork of the support 20 is varied. The squared end of the support 20 being disposed within the rectangular recess 21, the same will be prevented from being rotated when adjusted vertically, and therefore the arms 19 will be prevented from binding on the pin 18. The pin 18 is preferably rectangular in cross section and disposed longitudinally of the key 2 and the slot between the arms 18 in which the same moves is disposed in the same plane. 7

Since the pin 18 and the member 20 are preferably constructed of metal any changes in temperature will not affect the same and cause the key to stick as is ordinarily the case when the usual guide pins are employed, thus the keys will respond quickly to the touch at all times and will'not being beneath the key bed of the piano and turning the proper thumb nuts in the right directions. This is a great improvement over the methods now employed for regulating and adjusting the keys as it it necessary to remove the front of the piano or other parts thereof.

From the foregoing description it will be noted that the keys of a piano or similar instrument equipped with my invention may be quickly and easily regulated in a very simple manner by practically any one.

I claim as my invention:

1,. In an instrument of the class described, a key, a stop to limit the downward movement of said key, a threaded shank extend ing from said stop, a bracket secured to the instrument and having a bifurcated end, said end having alined apertures to receive said threaded shank, and a thumb nut on said shank between the furcations of said bracket, whereby said stop may be vertically adjusted to vary the dip of said key.

2. In an instrument of the class described, a key, a pin extending from one end thereof, a forked support, its arms being disposed on each side of said pin to guide said key during its movement, said pin being adapted to contact with the bottom of said fork to limit the downward movement of said key, and means for vertically adjusting said sup port relative to said key.

3. In an instrument of the class described, a key, a pin extending from one end thereof, a forked support, its arms being disposed on each side of said pin to guide said key during its movement, said pin being adapted to contact with the bottom of said fork to llmitthe downward movement of said key,

a threaded shank extending from said support, a bracket secured to the instrument and having a bifurcated end, said end having alined apertures to receive said threaded shank, and a thumb nut on said shank between the furcations of said bracket, Whereby said support may be adjusted vertically to vary the dip of said key.

4. In an instrument of the class described, a key, a. pin extending from one end thereof, a forked support, its arms being disposed on each side of said pin to guide said key during its movement, said pin being adapt ed to contact with the bottom of said fork to limit the downward movement of said key, said support having a. rectangular base, a

, rail having a rectangular recess to receive said base, a threaded shank extending from said support, a bracket secured to the instrument and having a bifurcated end, said end having alined apertures to receive said threaded shank, and a thumb nut on said shank between the furcations of said bracket and whereby said support may be adjusted vertically to vary the dip of said key.

5. In an instrument of the class described, a key, an ear thereon, a fulcrum member having a forked end to receive said car therein, whereby the key is pivoted thereto, and means for adjusting said member vertically.

6. In an instrument of the class described, a key having a socket, a rectangular recess surrounding said socket, an ear having a stud for engagement with the socket, the base of said car being rectangular and disposed in said recess to prevent rotation thereof, a fulcrum member having said ear pivoted thereto, whereby the key is pivoted thereto, a shank extended from said memher, and means engaged with said shank to adjust the member vertically.

7. In an instrument of the class described, a key, an ear thereon, a fulcrum member having a forked end to receive the ear thereon whereby the key is pivoted thereto, said member having a rectangular base, a rail having a rectangular recess to receive said rectangular base, and means for adjusting said member vertically to raise or lower said key. a

8. In an instrument of the class described, a key, an ear thereon, a fulcrum member having said ear pivoted thereto, a threaded shank extending from said member, a bracket secured to the instrument and having a bifurcated end, said end having alined apertures to receive said threaded shank, and a thumb nut on said shank between the fur-cations of said bracket whereby said member may be vertically adjusted to raise or lower said key.

9. In an instrument of the class described, a key, an ear extending therefrom, 'a fulcrum member having said ear pivoted thereto, means for adjusting said member verti cally to raise or lower the key, a stop adjacent one end of the key for limiting the downward movement of said key, and means for adjusting said stop to vary the dip of said key.

10. In an instrument of the class described, a key, an ear extending therefrom, a fulcrum member having said ear pivoted thereto, a threaded shank extending from said member, means engaged with said shank to raise and lower said member and the key, a pin extending from one end of said key, a forked support, its arms being disposed on each side of said pin to guide said key during its movement, said pin being adapted to contact with the bottom of said fork to limit the downward movement of said key, and means to adjust said support vertically to vary the dip of said key.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES A. FOUST. Witnesses:

MARY E. GABLE, JOHN GABLE.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents. Washington, D. G. 

